A Complete SEO Checklist for Beginners
/Find a complete SEO checklist for beginners with a step-by-step process so you can start ranking on Google and boosting your blog traffic right away!
A Simple SEO Checklist for Food Blogging Beginners
Below, you’ll find a quick checklist of items to start implementing SEO tactics and boost your blog rankings today!
1. Planning
Pick a topic
Keyword research: Find 3-5 relevant keywords related to your topic that you believe your blog can rank for based on their difficulty and your domain authority.
2. Write Your Post
Create a primary (H1) headline using your keyword and adjectives that help enhance it.
Outline subtopics (H2 titles) incorporating long and short-tail versions of your keywords
Write the copy, utilizing your primary keyword as early as possible in the post and wherever else it feels natural. Be careful not to use it too much!
Answer commonly asked questions in the body of your post and with an FAQ section at the bottom. (The FAQ section is a hot topic right now. I still recommend it.)
Link internally and externally to helpful posts on your site and informative pieces on other sites to help readers gain better clarity on more intricate topics or to back up claims.
3. Optimize Your Images
Save your photos with relevant, specific file names before uploading them into your post.
Use alt text descriptions for each image. Try to keep it around 100 characters, and always end with a period!
4. Add Meta Information
Fill out the meta/SEO title using your primary keyword and secondary keywords, if possible. Make it clear, informative, and enticing.
Include the meta description. Make it short and catchy to draw your readers in. I recommend using a command or action word to make it punchy.
Add the url. Include your primary keyword, keep it short, and use hyphens.
5. Finishing Touches
Add categories.
Include tags such as your primary keywords and other descriptive words and phrases relevant to the post.
Add a featured image.
Preview the post to make sure everything looks clean and organized.
Read it again (out loud if you can) to ensure the copy flows smoothly and sounds natural.
Make sure there are no places where you can insert clarifying links, add helpful images, or even insert videos.
Schedule the post, prepare social media blasts, and you’re done!
I hope you found this post helpful! If you have any questions about SEO or writing for food blogs, please let me know in the comments below.